Love Of A Leader
by RaneyLee
Summary: D/WW pairing. SLASH WARNING! Wing has feelings for our fav ex-thief. What is he going to do about it? Will Duke accept? And what's this problem with Mallory? AN: Finally updated! :)
1. Night Out

The first chapter of my slash story!! Duke/Wing pairing and Wing's P.O.V. Might be a lemon in later chaps! Enjoy!!  
THE LOVE OF A LEADER  
  
Chapter 1  
I heard the cheers of the crowd. The shouts and applauding echoing in my ears. But, my mind wasn't on the game. It was on him. That body of his moving swiftly, skillfully, through the opponents of the opposite team. The mysterious spark that stayed in his eye and grin helped complete his figure. With a slight smile, I let my eyes wonder along his figure...  
  
"Wildwing! Look out!" Nosedive's voice cut through my thoughts.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
The crowd and opposite team faded as I jerked my head up only to be smacked in the face with a puck. My skates slipped out from under me, causing me to fall back onto my rear. My eyes crossed and I sucked in a breath when the pain from my head and lower spine became known.   
  
"Wing!"  
  
"Wildwing!"  
  
"Are you ok, big bro'?"  
  
"Little friend, are you alright?"  
  
"How many fingers am I holding up?"  
  
The words swirled in my brain, making it feel a little queasy. With my head in my hands, I lightly shoke it, attempting to shake the feeling away, only to result in a worse headache. Looking up at the concerned faces of my team, my vision wavered.  
  
"Looky at the pretty little pucks, mommy," I muttered drowsily, pointing at the little pucks with wings flying around my head then fell backwards.  
  
My head hit the ice and started to throb painfully with my heartbeat. Closing my eyes with a groan, I felt the pain fade and entered a world of carelessness...  
  
Later:  
  
When I opened my eyes again, I found myself in the medical bay, alone. Rubbing the bump on my forehead, I sat up and slowly climbed out of the infirmary bed. With a sigh and light shake of my head, to not rattle my brain any farther, I left the room and made my down the hallways and onto the roof of the Pond without anyone seeing me. I pushed the metal door open and took a deep breath of the fresh air. It was dark out and the light breeze was cool. Sighing, I went to the edge of the roof and set on the ledge with my legs dangling off the side. With another deep breath, I let my thoughts start to wonder to my subject of earlier...  
  
' Duke, if only you knew... heh... who am I kiddin'? You'd probably kill me for just thinking of such things. Weird, huh? Here I am, the captain of a hockey and strike force team, fawning over one of my own teammates. And a guy, at that! I sighed, yet again. How long has it been, anyway? Four? Five months since we arrived on Earth? And since that day I saw you back on Puckworld... I can't help but think about you. I see you everyday, but think of you everyday and night. My dreams are set on you and I can't do anything about it... Not only your body... great body, to be correct, but just you as a whole. Just... you. I can't describe it even if I wanted to. Humph... even find you being a thief... no, ex-thief attractive. Or are you an ex-thief? Maybe you're just waiting until we get back home before you steal anything. And if you do, I just might consider in joining the Brotherhood....'  
  
"Hey, Wildwing? What you doing up here?"  
  
I jumped in shock, having to grab the ledge to keep from falling off the building, and looked over my shoulder to see none other than Duke coming towards me. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath to calm my excited heartbeat.  
  
"Hey yourself, Duke," I greeted him after I released my breath, "What's up?"  
  
He gave a short laugh as he rolled his eyes, "Nothing, really, unless you consider Tanya's fit she's having because you disappeared. She said, and I quote, 'I leave him for five minutes, FIVE minutes!!! And when I come back, he's gone! Where could he go in five minutes?!"  
  
I chuckled at the thought of her doing so with a shake of my head. Wouldn't be surprised if she did. That's just Tanya for ya'  
  
"So, they sent you to find me," he avoided my gaze and looked out over the city after settling down next to me.  
  
"No... actually, I came on my own..." he stated, bringing a knee to his chest and resting his chin on it.  
  
"Ohh....."  
  
Silence settled in between us so only the soft rustle of the wind and the sounds of vehicles passing were heard. My mind started to wonder again...  
  
"Hey, Wing?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"You hungry?"  
  
'What kind of hungry, Duke?'  
  
"A little, I guess... yeah, I'm hungry, why?"  
  
"Well, I thought that maybe we could get out of here and go grab a bite to eat someplace, ya' know?" I eyed him curiously, "What?"  
  
"Are you asking me on a date?" I half mean and half kidded the question.  
  
"Well, ah... no... No, not unless you want it to be..." he looked away, a deep crimson rising to his cheeks before fading quickly.  
  
'I'll take you up on that date, Duke. All you have to do is ask and I'll say yes.'  
  
"Sure," his head snapped up and he gazed at me with his good eye.  
  
"What do you mean, 'sure'?"  
  
"Sure, I'll go with you," I defined.  
  
'C'mon, Duke. Ask me for that date...'  
  
I stood and offered a hand up, which, to my surprise, he accepted. We were soon off the roof of the Pond and walking into the city. Duke paused and motioned to me into a nearby alley. We climbed up the fire escape and onto the roof of the building. There, he led me to the other side of the roof and across the makeshift catwalk over another alley. It wasn't long until he finally stopped and crouched at the side of the building we were standing on.  
  
"What's going on?" I asked, crouching next to him.  
  
"Right there," he pointed to what looked like an old run-down restrant.  
  
"What is that place?" he turned his head towards me with one of his famous grins, one of the things I found so attractive in him.  
  
"One of the best spots to eat. Now don't go judging it from the outside, Wing. They make up some of the best dishes that only a king could deserve," his eye sparkled as he stood," C'mon."  
  
Duke lowered himself down the side of the building. Looking over the ledge, I'd found he had jumped to an extended windowsill then dropped the rest of the way down to the ground. I followed and landed on the ground with much less grace. He was as agile as a cat, maybe more. He walked into the building and I followed, gazing around curiously. It was kind of dark, but a cozy dark, one that made someone feel welcome. Dim lights were lit along the walls and were brightened above the tables. The sitting arrangements were evenly spread out to make it feel less crowded. A small bar was nestled in one corner and a door leading into another room, most likely the kitchen, was a few feet away from it. A light chatter came from the dinners, making it seemingly quiet. Most said hello to Duke and welcomed me while the others gave a wave before resuming what they were doing. A young lady wearing a pair of unhemmed jeans, a light-blue tee-shirt, and tennis shoes came up to us.   
  
"Hey, Duke. Nice to see you back. It's been a while. Ah... and who's this friend you have with you?" she pushed a bang of reddish-brown hair behind her ear while her teal colored eyes shone with the dim light.  
  
"Hey, yourself, Kas," Duke greeted back with a grin, "Wing, this is Kassy. Kassy, Wildwing."  
  
"Nice to meet you, Wildwing. It's a pleasure to have you here," she extended her hand out for a handshake.  
  
I took her hand and shoke it.  
  
"I guess you should thank Duke for bringing me," I stated to which she half smiled and rolled her eyes.  
  
"Typical... C'mon," she lead us to a two seater booth and handed us... er... me, actually, a menu.  
  
Kassy wrote something down on the pad in her hand while Duke sat across from me. I scanned over the booklet and glanced back up at Duke. He was so... handsome...  
  
"...Wildwing, is it?"  
  
"Huh?" Kassy pointed her pencil at me.  
  
"What would you like to drink?" she repeated.  
  
Heat rose to my cheeks in embarrassment.  
  
"Sorry... ah... do you make half drinks?" at her confused look, I explained," You know, like you mix two different drinks together?" (an: trust me, these are good! Put your two fav sodas together... wow!)  
  
"Oh... yeah, we can do that. First time it's ever been done here, but sure. What would you like?" she replied, a bit startled.  
  
"I think I'll take a Pepsi and Dr. Pepper."  
  
She quickly wrote it down," Alright.... I'll be right back."  
  
That's when I realized Duke hadn't asked for a drink and I questioned him about it. He gave a laugh.  
  
"I come here a lot, so, since I basically ordered the same thing each time I came, Kas just had me write down all my normal orders on a sheet of paper, and, volla!, all I've got ta' say is 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5. They write down my name with the number and go on," he grinned at me, the dim light casting a shadow over him.  
  
"Interesting... they must know you pretty well," he leaned back in his seat and studied something behind me.  
  
"...yeah... you could say that..." he closed his eyes and took a deep breath before opening them again," I really like this place. The people are really nice, wonderful service, same with the dishes. Usually, I sit in that seat over there in the corner..."  
I glanced over at the darkest corner of the diner and knew why. That spot was a lot like Duke. Had his name all over it. It looked as dark as Duke seemed and just as secretive...  
  
"Hey, how's the bump?" I looked up as him before touching the bump on my head again.  
  
"Fine. Doesn't hurt unless I touch it. Why?" he shoke his head.  
  
"Jus' wonderin.'"  
  
I scanned over the menu.  
  
"How's the shrimp plate?"  
  
"Good. If ya' like shrimp," he folded his arms across the table and leaned on them.  
  
"Oh... umm... what about the... smothered steak?" I felt his gaze on me, but didn't think nothing of it nor say anything about it.  
  
"Oh... that one's jus' wonderful."  
  
'Ok..., is it just me, or is there something about his voice..?'  
  
I bit the inside of my cheek as I carefully chose what I wanted. Finally, I decided on the taco salad with a bit of hot sauce. I loved hot sauce, just not as much as my baby bro.' I just couldn't see myself eating that much of it.  
  
After eating and just when I thought the night was over, Duke took me and showed me a part of the city I've never seen before. It was great. He was showing ME his world. Not Tanya. Not Mallory. Not Dive nor Grin. But me. I asked questions, he answered them. The rest of the night flew by unnoticed, so I was surprised to finally find myself and Duke sitting side by side on a building rooftop watching the ocean. I took a deep breath of the salty air and released it with a sigh.  
  
"I had fun, Duke," he looked over at me.  
  
"Glad you enjoyed it," he smirked at me.  
  
A light feather soft touch brushed across my hand, causing me to look down. His fingers had lightly brushed my hand, most likely by accident. I looked back up to his shadowed face. I could sense he wanted to tell me something.  
  
"Duke?" he closed his eye, heaving a sigh.  
  
"This is where I go when I go out, Wing. I don't steal anymore. I come here to be on a place... I dunno'... I jus' had to tell somebody. To show them... my world.." he turned his face towards me," As I had rather it be you, Wildwing..."  
  
Chapter 1  
  
Authors notes: Well? What do we all think? Good? Bad? And look how long it is!! 10 pages of notebook paper!! Hey, tell me what you think, k?  
  
Sailor Vegeta 


	2. He's Gonna' Kill Me

Alright, I finally got around to typing this!! Now on to chapter 2 (and 3!). I decided that, instead of just posting chapter 2, I'd post both! Anyway, on we go! (No lemon, yet) R&R!  
  
Disclaimer: Don't own them, but no one owns the story but me! NAH!!  
  
~~~~~~~  
  
Love of a Leader  
  
Chapter 2  
We caught each other's eyes and I found my self being pulled toward into the depths of his good eye. I started to lean towards him until out faces almost touched before I caught myself, pulled back and looked away. My gaze fell on a group of baby turtles scuttling towards the water. I smiled slightly, watching as they entered the welcoming yet dangerous salt water. Lightly clearing my throat, I stood and brushed my seat off.  
  
"Well, guess we should get back," I suggested.  
  
"Yeah... guess we should," he agreed, standing as well.  
  
He lead us back across the rooftops until we came back to the fire escape we had first climbed up. He climbed down. I paused, looking back over the rooftops before following. Tonight was a night I'll never forget, never.   
  
On the third rung from the bottom of the ladder, I let go and dropped to the ground. I stuffed my hands in my pockets and walked next to Duke back to the Pond.  
  
'Let's see... 36... 37... 38, 39...' I counted the cracks in the sidewalk silently.  
  
"Ya' know, Tanya's gonna' chew me out when she finds out I took you all over town," Duke chuckled.  
  
"No, she's not," he looked over at me with confusion spread across his face.   
  
"Wha..?" I smirked at him.  
  
"Don't worry about it, Duke. I'll take care of her."  
  
"Well... thanks, Wing... Though you don't have to worry about it. I can take care of myself," he sighed, taking his saber hilt from his shoulder and playing with it,"'sides, she'll probably put another bump on that head of yours."  
  
"We both started laughing at that and reached up to rub my bump once more.  
  
"Hey, Duke? I've been wondering... who shot that puck?" a blush crossed his face as he looked away, which I took a hint to and gave a half smile," Don't tell me it was you."  
  
"...It was, Wing... sorry. Didn't mean for that to happen," he muttered so low I that had to strain to hear him.  
  
With a grin, I rested a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"S'ok, Duke. Besides, It helped me realize something,"  
  
"What?"  
  
"To keep my mind on the puck at all times!" I joked and he gave a chuckle.  
  
"Why? Is that how you got hit?" I rubbed the back of my neck sheepishly as I looked up at the clear sky.  
  
It was amazing how the weather could be on your side sometimes...  
  
"Yeah... I wasn't paying attention. Stupid me. Let my mind wonder off. Dive yelled at me and I looked up just in time to side the side of a puck come at me," I snorted," 'Member to pay attention next time, won't I?"  
  
We finally entered the Pond and Duke escorted me to my door, saying he didn't want anyone seeing that we had left without anyone knowing. We stood right out side the door of Dive and my shared room and before I realized what I was doing, I grabbed the front of his shirt and pressed my beak to his. His body became tense as he froze. When I finally did realize that I, ME, Wildwing, was kissing Duke, I pulled away, releasing him in embarrassment and shame.  
  
"I... I'm sorry, Duke.... I don't.. don't know what came over me..." with the press of the button, the door to my little bro's and my room opened.  
  
"Wing..."  
  
"I'm sorry, Duke. I... It won't happen again. I'm sorry," with that, I hesitantly entered the room and closed the door, leaning with my back against it.  
  
I swallowed the lump in my throat. Tears started to well up, but I blinked them away. What was I going to do? I hadn't meant to kiss him. And now that I have... he's gonna' kill me. I know he is. I could feel it.  
  
Collapsing onto my bottom bunk, I curled up in to a ball and wrapped my arms around my pillow. It was what I did when I was upset. Ever heard of the saying, old habits are had to break? Well, this was one of them. One of my habits that never was able to be broken. I tightly closed my eyes as something wet slid down the side of my beak and I fell into a deep slumber...  
  
Later:  
  
"...Found 'im...!"  
  
I was shaken awake by a soft, firm hand on my shoulder. Squeezing my eyes tighter, I tried to ignore the person, which resulted in a harder shake.  
  
"Wing! Wildwing, wake up, bro'..."  
  
"Huh? Wha...? Oh... geeze, Dive. Can't you see I'm trying to sleep?" I asked tiredly, rubbing my eyes with the heel of my hand.  
  
That's when I saw the rest of the team in the room. All but Duke, that is. He was probably trying to come up with some way to get rid of me. I wouldn't blame him, of course.  
  
"Wildwing, where have you been?!" Tanya all but shouted, pressing a hand to my forehead.  
  
I winced softly when she accidentally hit my bump and pulled away.  
  
"Around. Why?"  
  
Grin, after seeing that I was alright, I guess, left the room, as did Mallory. Dive sat down next to me while Tanya continued to fuse over me.  
  
"We can't have you tromping around with a concussion, Wing. You need to find someplace to rest."  
  
"But I was resting! Before you came and woke me up!" I protested," and would you stop? I'm fine, Tanya," she sighed, straightening.  
  
"Fine. But you, mister, needs to rest. And, Nosedive, make sure he gets it," she left without another word.  
  
A moment passed before Nosedive pushed me back down on the bed and straddled my waist.  
  
"What's wrong, Wing?" he asked.  
  
"Nothing, Dive. Everything's just fine," I gave a sigh and looked away.  
  
"No it's not," Dive shook his head, his blond hair hitting the sides of his face," C'mon, big bro'. You can tell me."  
  
I sighed and pushed him off my waist to roll over on my stomach and cover my head with the pillow. My headache was starting to come back again. I heard him give a frustrated sigh as he straddled my back.  
  
'Oh, no, no, no, no... please, not the...'  
  
"NOSEDIVE!!!"  
  
I leapt up from my spot and into a sitting position facing him. His fingers were still posed from where he had poked me in between the shoulder blades with a grin stretched across his beak.   
  
"Don't DO That!" I snapped before I could hold the tone back.  
  
"Please, Wildwing. Tell me what's wrong. It'll help get it off your chest."  
  
I heaved a deep sigh, moving to sit on the side of the bed and ran my fingers through my hair.  
  
"Alright. Fine," a moment of silence passed before I continued," He's gonna' kill me, Dive. I know he is. I let my emotions take control for one second and it's going to result in you not having a brother anymore," I rested my elbows on my knees and head in my hands.  
  
"Wha? What do you mean, 'he's gonna' kill you'? Who's gonna' kill you? What did you do?" Dive moved to sit beside my, confusion and concern replacing the grin.  
  
"I... I... I can't say it, baby bro'..." I felt the comforting warmth of his hand on my shoulder.  
  
"C'mon, Wing..." I closed my eyes, biting my lower lip.  
  
"I... I kissed him, Dive. I kissed Duke L'Orange and now he's gonna' kill me. I know he is..." I looked away in embarrassment.  
  
"You...? You kissed Duke? Duke of all ducks?" he burst out laughing, causing me to arch an eyebrow at him.  
  
"What's so funny?" Nosedive shook his head.  
  
"N.. nothing. It's just that you... a.. and Duke... You actually KISSED him? I'm not against you two being together, but I just can't picture that. Him kissing you, maybe," Dive smirked at me," And did he SAY he was gonna' kill you, or do you just presume he is?"  
  
"He didn't say it, but do you really think he would he would want to be with me? Me of all people? He wouldn't want to ruin his dignity to be with someone like me."  
  
"Nahuh, big bro'. Why don't you go talk to him? He wouldn't kill you. He's an ex-THIEF, not ex-murderer, ya' know."  
  
"Yea, I know. But, still..."  
  
"'But still,' nothing. Go talk to him tomorrow, but now, you need that rest Tawny told you to get," Nosedive pushed me back into the bed before pulling my blankets over me.  
  
"Hey, isn't this supposed to be the other way around?" I asked with a slight grin.  
  
"Not tonight. Go to sleep, big bro'," he turned off the main light, leaving his lamp, that was attached to the headrest of his top bunk, on.  
  
"Shouldn't I tuck you in too?" my grin broadened as I sat up on my arms.  
  
"Wing, shut your beak before I get the duck tape and go to sleep already," my little brother gave me a playful glare.  
  
With a slight smirk, I laid back down and closed my eyes.  
  
  
The next two days passed uneventful as I tried to avoid Duke. I didn't want to talk to him just yet. I couldn't talk to him. Even Dragonus must've decided to take a break for a while, 'cause all we got were a few inexperienced crooks, so I didn't have any droids to work my stress off with. I could tell Duke was trying to approach me while I was alone, but, instead of letting him, I'd leave the room I was in in a hurry to keep from talking to him. I was still scared that he wanted to kill me, believe it or not. I knew my little bro' was right, but I just couldn't help but feel he wanted something from me that I didn't want to give him, like... my life. Finally, after a week, I couldn't take the stress any longer. Sure, I could handle leading a team into a fight with an evil overlord named Dragonus that had took over our home planet. Yea, so, the work camps were hard as was losing my best friend to an electromagnetic worm. And dealing with Phil could be a little annoying at times while looking out for my lit' bro' was a bit tough, but I just couldn't handle trying to avoid the one that I loved so much. I had to talk to him, whether he killed me or not. I decided then and there to talk to Duke the next day and went to my bed in a heap of twisted and knotted nerves and butterflies.  
  
Chapter 2  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Well...? Chapter 2! Yay!! Hope you enjoyed! Hey, see ya' in the next chapter! 


	3. Why They Call It Fallin'

Glad to see that you came in for Chapter 3. Nice to see ya'! Alright, hope you enjoy! (No Lemon yet) Hmm... three hours to type up two chapters and check them all in the same day... a record for me! Maybe I should post more often...  
  
Disclaimer: Don't own 'em, I told ya'!  
  
*....* song lyrics  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Chapter 3  
*It's like jumpin'  
It's like leapin'  
It's like walkin' on the ceiling'  
It's like floatin'  
It's like flyin' through the air  
It's like soarin' through the air  
It's like gliddin'  
It's a rocket ship you're ridin'  
It's a feelin' that can take you anywhere  
  
So why they call it fallin'  
Why they call it fallin'  
Why they call it fallin'  
I don't know...*  
  
I knocked on the door anxiously. There was nothing to worry about. The worst he could do was say no, right? The door opened and in its place stood Duke. He had a dagger in one hand and a cleaning cloth in the other. My heart seemed to skip a beat at seeing him. He arched an eyebrow at me.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Can we talk?"  
  
He studied me for a moment before moving aside.  
  
"Yeah, come in," I stepped over the threshold and into his bunk (room).  
  
I was impressed at the site of his room. Definatly a neat freak. Well, I wouldn't say freak, but still, his bunk was very neat. I could do with someone neat.  
  
*There was passion  
There was laughter  
The first morning after  
I just couldn't get my feet to touch the ground  
Every time we were together  
We talked about forever  
I was certain it was heaven we had found  
  
So why they call it fallin'  
Why they call it fallin'  
Why they call it fallin'  
I don't know...*  
  
How I was going to talk to him about last week, I didn't know. I turned to him to see him still standing there, studying me while absently rubbing the blade of the knife.  
  
"Duke... ah..." I nervously rubbed the back of my neck, converting my gaze to study the floor," I don't really know how to explain, but about last week... I know I said I'm sorry for what I did, but I was wonderin'... ah..."  
  
*But you can't spend your life  
Walkin' in the clouds  
Sooner or later  
You have to come down...*  
  
"No, Wildwing," his voice sounded harsh," I will not have my captain fawnin' over me."  
  
That hurt. Deeply.  
  
"So, I decided how to solve the problem..." I moved my gaze back to him," ...To get rid of it."  
  
With that, he turned the knife in his hand and rammed the blade into my chest before I could react...  
  
*It's like a knife   
Through the heart  
And it all comes apart  
It's like someone takes a pin to your balloon  
It's a hole  
It's a cave  
It's kinda' like a grave  
When he tells you he's found somebody new  
  
So why they call it fallin'  
Why they call it fallin'  
Why they call it fallin'  
I don't know  
  
Ohh.... why they call it fallin'  
Why they call it fallin'  
Why they call it fallin'  
Now I know...*  
  
...I shot up in a sitting position with my hand grasping from the hilt. At not finding it, I looked down, patting my chest. There was no pain, no wound, no nothing.  
  
"Just a dream..." I muttered softly in realization," It was just a dream..."  
  
"Wing..." the sleepy voice of Nosedive asked from above my head, "What's wrong?"  
  
"Nothing, baby bro'. Just a little scare is all. Go back to sleep."  
  
"K..." his bunk shifted as he rolled over.  
  
Now I was even more frightened to talk to Duke. What was I going to do...?  
  
Chapter 3  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Sorry, it so short. That's why I posted it with chapter 2. Hey, Review, would ya'? See ya' later! 


	4. It Starts

Alright, Chapter 4. About time, huh? Well, considering I'm not much on notes, I'll go ahead and let you read. Oh, yeah. Did I mention that the characters are sorta' out of character? If you keep close on the story, you can tell that they act OOC when others aren't around most of the time, or just Dive's around in Wing's case. Ok, I'm done. Enjoy.  
  
Disclaimer: No own, now go on. (heehee... rhymes..)  
  
~~~~~~~~~  
  
Chapter 4  
  
"...Wing! Wing! Aw, c'mon Wing. Wake up!"  
  
I gave a groan of protest and rolled over. I was tired and wanted to sleep. It's not like there's anything better to do around here, besides practice, games, and Dragaunus, anyway.  
  
"Wake. UP. Bro!"  
  
"Nosedive, go 'way," I mumbled into the pillow.  
  
"You've slept in longer then I do, so get up."  
  
"Impossible... you sleep in 'til 2 in the afternoon."  
  
"Actually, it's not, and I sleep in 'til 12, thank you. Now get up or I'll bring Duke in here."  
  
"So?"  
  
Dive sighed and left me alone, leaving our room. A moment passed after I pulled my comforter over my head and I started to drift off. Suddenly, the covers were yanked off, leaving me curled up in my shorts and tank top.  
  
"Rise an' shine, sleepin' beauty!"  
  
'Oh, no... Dive wasn't kiddin'...'  
  
A hand grabbed my arm and literally hauled me off the bed. Once my feet hit the floor, I let my knees buckle and I fell to the floor, tucking the pillow I still had in my hands under my head. Duke groaned above me then wrapped his arms around my waist and lifted me, though I refused to cooperate.  
  
"I don' think so, Wing. It's time for you to get up."  
  
"I don' wanna'..." I mumbled.  
  
I heard him sigh before dropping me on the floor again, where I curled back up.  
  
"Alright, fine. Have it your way."  
  
Suddenly, I was curious to know...  
  
"What time is it?"  
  
"If I told ya', would ya' get up?"  
  
"Maybe..."  
  
"12:43."  
  
I was on my feet before I could register and looked him in the eye.  
  
"WHAT?!?!"  
  
"Yeah, now get dressed. You and me have that photo shoot at 1, remember?"  
  
I cursed repeatedly under my breath as I hurried towards the closet, stepping over things in the way, like my alarm clock... What in the world? Oh, well... figure that out later. I grabbed a pair of jeans and tugged them on then pulled off my tank top, pulling a t-shirt on in its place. Reaching for a pair of socks off the installed shelf, I put them on as well, pulling one foot as I went. My tennis shoes were slipped on, the strings ignored for the time being, followed by a comb yanked through my hair. Grabbing my comm and the Mask, I shoved Duke out the door.  
  
"Hmm... 3 minutes and 36 seconds. Not bad, Wing," Duke grinned, looking up from his watch.  
  
"Shut up, Duke. Just shut up."  
  
We found the rest of the team, and Phil, who was checking his watch, in the Rec room.   
  
"Ok, I'm up. I'm ready to go. ...Boy, I'm tired..." I muttered, leaning against the wall with my eyes closed.  
  
"I don' think so. You've slept all morning and a little into the afternoon, so sleep is a no no," I heard Duke say and a hand shook my shoulder.  
  
Not bothering to open my eyes, I stuck my tongue out at him. Silence fell over the room until my baby bro' started to laugh.   
  
"Oh... oh, man! I think I need a camera!"  
  
"Ahh... shut up, kid," amusement was clear in my crush's voice.  
  
I hid a yawn behind my hand as I pushed away from the wall, stretching.  
  
"Think I have time to grab something to chow on before we leave?" I asked, not able to ignore my growling stomach any longer. The team, but Duke and Dive, exchanged confused glances.  
  
"Leave for what?" came Phil's reply.  
  
"The photo shoot Duke and I have today. We do have one, don't we?"  
  
"Not... that I can recall... let me check," our manager pulled out an agenda book and flipped through it so fast, I couldn't think of how he would be able to read it. Within a few seconds' time, he looked up shaking his head, "Nope. None today, boobala."  
  
"Duke?" I turned to him, annoyed.  
  
"Hey, hey! It was jus' a joke. No need in getting mad about it," he protested.  
  
"Who said I was mad?"   
  
With that, I left, headed for the kitchen to satisfy myself. I was starving and was 'not' going to start the day without my first meal. No way. After a good bit of rummaging through the cabinets, I settled on choosing a grilled tuna sandwich. While waiting for the sandwich to grill in the little griller that Phil had gotten us not long after we got to Earth, I sat on the counter and let my thoughts do their usual wondering.  
  
'Wonder what happened to Dragaunus. If ya' ask me, I think he knows what's going on around here and wants me to stress out. No wonder he always blows up his own droids. Gives a person something to take stress out on... What am I gonna' tell Duke, anyway? It's been around two weeks and I haven't talked to him about it. Besides, I already have plans to talk to him today. Maybe later...' I sighed, 'This wouldn't be so bad if Canard was still captain. Then I wouldn't have to... stop it, Wing! You know good and well that Dive's right. Duke wouldn't do anything but maybe say no. He wouldn't kill anybody and you know it. He'll probably just say no and you'll just have to get over it. Hmm... now about Dive and Grin... Is it just me, or is there something going on between them? They sure are spending an awful lot of time with each other. I wonder...'  
  
"Hey, Wing?" I looked up at the knock to see Duke in the doorway, "Can we talk?"  
  
"'Course we can, Duke. See? We're talking now," I grinned, which he rolled his eyes at.  
  
"Funny, but you know what I'm talking about," I sighed and nodded heavily.  
  
"Yeah, I know. Just..." I slid off the counter, back onto the floor, "Just give me a second."  
  
I turned my attention to getting a plate, but found one being handed to me. I looked up from the plate at Duke, who was grinning at me. Slowly taking it, I looked away.  
  
"Uh... thanks, Duke."  
  
"No problem."  
  
I quickly got my sandwich and a soda from the fridge.  
  
"Want a bite?" I asked, offering him some of the sandwich. He shook his head.  
  
"Nah. C'mon. My room's probably a bit more private. Especially for what we're need to talk about."  
  
"...Yeah, probably. Umm... you don't mind the food, do you?" he flashed me a grin.  
  
"Are you kiddin'? 'Course I don't mind," Duke pushed me out the door and towards his room.  
  
On the way, I started on my meal. The knot in my stomach didn't help in getting the food to my stomach, though. The trip to his room was all too short and uneventful. And, like the gentleman he was, Duke opened the door and gestured me in, telling me to make myself comfortable while he hopped onto his desktop. As if I wasn't nervous enough, he started fiddling with the dagger lying on top of the desk. Trying to make myself comfortable, I sat in one of the chairs and looked around the room. It was almost exactly like my dre... no, nightmare. I've never heard of a dream that you get stabbed in. His room was neat and clean, with the exception of the pile of clothes in the corner.  
  
"We haven't talked to each other for, like, what? Two weeks? What you been up to?"   
  
I softly chewed on my lower lip, arms rested on my knees and hands hanging limply between them, except for the one slowly swishing my drink around, having already finished the sandwich. I shrugged.  
  
"Nothing much. Nice room."  
  
"Heh... thanks. I like to have a clean living space, ya' know?"  
  
My heart started to race when he aimed the dagger at a place above the door, the heat leaving my face and breath quickening. Duke was really starting to creep me out.  
  
"Yeah... but... with Dive, ya' get used to a... uh...a messy room," I managed to get out.  
  
"Possibly so," he sat the dagger down before pulling open the drawer underneath him and taking out a handful of throwing knives.  
  
Although the two he threw were at the target just above the door, I was still quite a bit antsy. Duke aimed the third and glanced over at me. The knife lowered as his full attention turned to me.  
  
"You alright? You don't really look so good," swallowing the knot in my throat, I nodded.  
  
"Yeah... I... I'm fine."  
  
I relaxed a good bit when the knives were set down on the desk.  
  
"It's the knives, isn't it?"  
  
"Yea... no.. I mean..." I stopped with a sigh, lowering my eyes to the floor.  
  
"Wildwing?" I found myself suddenly looking Duke in the eye with him on one knee on front of me and my chin cupped in his hand.  
  
"S... sorta'. I had this dream last night..." I muttered pulling away from his hand, "It... involved a knife and... and didn't... end too well..."  
  
"Wanna' talk about it?" I shook my head.  
  
A moment of silence passed and I kept my gaze down, subconsciously studying the deep burgundy material of Duke's outfit, while I could feel him watching me.  
  
"It had something to do with me, too, didn't it," he suddenly stated.  
  
I didn't answer. He lifted my face again, a hand on each side of my face, forcing me to look at him.  
  
"Wing, you don't need to be scared of me," I moved my gaze away from his face, "C'mon, look at me," he said softly, making me do so, "I'll never, 'never', do anything to you, even if you do have feelings for me."  
  
My gaze moved again, face flushed with shame, as I tried to figure out what to say to him. My thoughts were interrupted when his mouth closed over mine. My entire system froze in shock before responding to the kiss. One of Duke's hands moved from my face to the center of my chest, where he pushed me back into the chair and climbed up and straddled my legs. I wrapped my arms around his neck, weaving my fingers in to his hair and the feathers on the back of his neck. It wasn't until my lungs started begging for oxygen that he pulled away, although I gave a slight protest to which he chuckled at.  
  
"And that's mainly because I've got feelings for you."  
  
"Duke... I.. I don't know what to say..."  
  
"Don't say anything, Wing," he leaned forward and nuzzled my neck with his beak as he drew me into a hug, "Just go out on a date with me."  
  
I pushed him back with a smirk, "You think I'd say no?"  
  
Duke chuckled again, shaking his head, "'Course not."  
  
"Tonight at 6 good?"  
  
"Sounds good to me," I grinned and pushed Duke off me before standing, where I gave him another kiss then hurried out of his room.  
  
I was so excited, rushing down the hall in search of Nosedive. I had to tell him. I was going on a date! Tonight!!(1) I found Mallory and Tanya watching tv in the Rec room while Grin meditated in the corner.  
  
"Hey? Has anyone seen Dive?"  
  
"Uh... yeah. I think he said he was going to read some comics or something. Why?"  
  
"No reason. Thanks, Tanya," I called, leaving the room.  
  
I found Nosedive on his bunk bed with his beak in a comic just like Tanya said. With a grin, I climbed up and pounced on him, holding him down by the shoulders while he gave a startled yelp.   
  
"Wing! Do you mind?! I'm trying to read!"  
  
"Correction. WAS trying," I stated, taking the comic from him, "I have to tell you something."  
  
"What's so important that it can't wait 'til the end of my comic?"  
  
"Me and Duke." Dive rose an eyebrow at me.  
  
"What? Did you two make out in the kitchen?" the heat rose to my face quite quickly at that.  
  
"Dive! No, of course not! He took me to his room and..."  
  
"You did in there, right?" the amusement was clear on his face.  
  
"Nosedive, let me finish, baby bro'!"  
  
"Fine," he grinned.  
  
"Alright, he took me to his room and we started talking, well, not exactly talking. Duke was mainly throwing knives at the door, but that's not the point. Anyway, we did get to talking, and, before I knew what happened..."  
  
"Duke kissed you."  
  
"Yeah, he... How'd you know?" Dive paused before shrugging.  
  
"I dunno'. Lucky guess, I reckon. Well, anything else?"  
  
"Yeah, we're going out tonight. At six," I grinned broadly, most likely looking a good bit like Nosedive when he was excited.   
  
"Uh, bro? Sorry to disrupt the moment, but could you get off?"  
  
"Huh?" I looked down to realize that I was pressing my little brother into the bed with my excitement about later that night and moved off of him to sit on the edge of the bed, "Sorry, Dive. I'm just real excited is all. I've had a crush on Duke ever since I first saw him back home and since then, I wanted to go out with him, ya' know? Well, finally I can."  
  
"That's great, Wing," Nosedive grinned, settling down beside me and looking at his watch, "So you're going out at six, you say? That's a little over three hours away. What are you going to wear?"  
  
"I guess what I've got on," I shrugged, looking down at my t-shirt and jeans.  
  
"Are you kiddin'?! I don't think so. That is NOT suitable for a date," Dive jumped of the bed, taking me with him and making me sit on my bottom bunk, "You sit while I find something for you to wear."  
  
Nosedive disappeared into the closet and started to rummage through it. After a few moments of talking to himself while he worked, Dive came back out with a bundle of clothes in his hands and set them down beside me. He'd found my pair of khaki pants that I'd thrown in the closet one day in a fit of frustration and a three-quarter length sleeved, light-gray shirt.  
  
"This'll go just fine with your tennis shoes you've got on. And, not only will it look nice, it's casual and the others won't expect a thing," I gave him a questioning look, "What?"  
  
"When did you become the fashion expert?" Nosedive rolled his eyes.  
  
"After that trip Grin and me had to take with Phil, I decided to become a bit more intelligent in the fashion category. You would too if you had to wear the suits he bought us," his arms crossed with a huff.  
  
"True..." then I thought about my clock I'd stepped over this morning, "What's my alarm clock doing on the floor, anyway?"  
  
"That's where you threw it this morning when it went off," Dive grinned, "You almost kicked me in the head when I tried to wake you the first time, too."  
  
"You're joking," I gave him a dumbfounded look.  
  
"'Fraid not, Wing."  
  
"Sorry 'bout that.." I muttered.  
  
"Hey, that's ok, Wing. You were asleep anyway. Don't worry about it. Now, how 'bout a video game?"  
  
~~Later~~  
  
"You ready?" Nosedive's voice echoed through the bathroom door.  
  
"Umm... almost..." I tightened the belt around my waist after tucking my shirt in.  
  
"Well, hurry up. It's ten 'til."  
  
"Coming, coming. Don't shed any feathers, baby bro..."  
  
Casting one last glance in the mirror, I ran my fingers through my hair with a sigh. This was it. Ten more minutes and my first date with Duke would begin. I opened the door and stepped out. Nosedive straightened from his position from the wall and studied me before smirking.  
  
"Lookin' good, Wing," he commented, "But lose the Mask."  
  
  
  
"What? Why? What if Dragaunus attacks?" I protested.  
  
"Then he attacks. You don't need to wear that thing everywhere, ya' know. Yeah, it was cool when you first started wearing it, but that gets old after a while. I hardly ever see you without it on," Dive stated, holding out his hand for me to put the mask in it, "Please, Wildwing. Take it off and go as yourself, not as team captain."  
  
  
  
I stared down at my little brother's face. All he wanted was me to be his brother, not some team captain that stayed hid behind a mask all the time. I could read it on his face. With a soft sigh and a small smile, I reached up and took Drake DuCain's Mask off my face, causing it to change to the white goalie mask as I placed it in Nosedive's hand. His face lit up and he threw his arms around my neck. I hugged him back in a tight embrace. Never once had Dive hugged me while I had the mask on, but I never thought about it until now. Nosedive didn't want to hug a team captain, he could care less about a captain. He wanted to hug me, without the mask. I held him a little tighter before pulling away and Dive walked over to the dresser. I noticed a bit more bounce in his step as he went, causing me to smile.  
  
After placing the mask on the dresser, he turned to me with a smile, "Want me to walk with you to his room?"  
  
"Sure. Why not," I answered, following him out the door.  
  
Instead of finding Duke, we found a note taped to his door that simply said 'Hanger' written in a neat script.  
  
"What? He trying to make you run all around the Pond looking for him?" Dive glanced at me after snagging the note from its place on the metal door, "Or is he playing 'Hard-To-Get'?"  
  
"Oh, hush, lit' bro'."   
  
Dive stuck his tongue out at me, playfully flipping me off before sprinting down the hallway.  
  
"Get back here!!"  
  
I gave chase.  
  
Chapter 4  
  
~~~~~~~~~  
  
1: Ok, so Wing's a bit excited. He musta' secretly had a bowl of sugar or something. But wouldn't anyone be excited?  
  
Well? What do you think? I meant to get this out LAST Saturday, but my schedule ran off on me, if you know what I mean. Sorry 'bout that. Hoped you enjoyed! Chiao for now!  
  
Sailor Vegeta 


	5. Secret Found Out

Alright, alright. I know it's been a while since I've updated this, but the story seems to enjoy putting me in a tight bind of writer's block. P So, shall we continue? Yes..? Good. 

Disclaimer: I of course, own nothing but the story.

**Chapter 5**

"Hide me, Duke!" Nosedive grabbed my date by the shoulders and hid behind him as soon as he stood at our entrance.

"Sorry, Kid. I'm not getting involved in sibling rivalry," Duke laughed, moving away and ruffling my brother's hair.

"Aww, man! You're no fun!"

I chuckled, "Get over it, baby bro. Ready, Duke?"

Duke grinned back, "Of course."

"Should we expect you to be late?"

'We? Who's 'we'...?' I thought to myself.

Duke and I exchanged glances then Duke nodded. Dive crossed his arms with a smug smile, leaning back a bit on his heels.

"Thought so. Go on, you two. Get outta here. I'll cover ya'," Nosedive waved us towards the Duckcycle that Duke had been leaning on when we came in.

"Thanks, Dive."

Nosedive waved to us as we sped out of the hanger, my hands resting on Duke's waist. We emerged into the dim sunlight. Seems that six o'clock was the time the sun was getting ready to set. I let my hands slide around his waist a little cautiously as I pressed my body closer to his back. At his body tensing, I started to pull away but found a hand closing over one of mine.

"Hold still, Wing..." he stated, though something seemed a little odd about his voice. Like something had shaken him or something.

Deciding not to worry about it at the moment, believing I could figure it out later, I rested my head against his shoulder. We soon pulled into a theater parking lot, where Duke got off and offered me a hand.

"Shall we?" and, with a smile, I accepted.

**Meanwhile (Change to Dive's p.o.v.)**

I grinned after my big bro and Duke left and turned back towards the hall before breaking into a run.

"Grin! Guess what!" I cried, bursting into his room and plopping down on the bed beside his meditating figure.

Grin opened one eye then the other, looking up at me sitting cross legged on his bed with a smile, "What is it, little one?"

I grinned at the nickname, "Wing and Duke went out on a date. They just left!"

Grin smiled at my excitement, "It is about time that they got together. I have sensed a great tension between them for the past two weeks."

He stretched out an arm to me, at which I brightened and climbed off his bed and into his lap. Grin wrapped his arm around me and rested his other hand on my thigh while I cuddled into his chest. He moved my hair aside, placing a few light kisses along my neck and making me sigh in content and tilt my head to the side to allow him more access.

"Love ya', Grin..." I murmured softly.

"I love you too, Nosedive," he breathed across my ear, the hot breath causing me to shiver slightly.

I looked up at him when he moved. Grin smiled then kissed me on the mouth, making me give a startled moan. Quick to get over the shock, I hungrily kissed my boyfriend back...

About an hour and a half later, I found Mallory, Tanya, and Phil in the Rec room. Mallory looked overly disgusted, and Tanya seemed ticked off. Phil... well... Phil just sat in the back ground, looking a bit like a kicked puppy. With a grin, I ran a hand through my ruffled hair, intending to straighten it out some.

"Hey, what up?"

"Don't 'Hey, what's up?' us, Nosedive," Mallory sneered.

Uh oh... Did she find that plastic snake I put in her sock drawer?

"Umm... what's wrong? What did I do?" I asked hesitantly.

"Besides being gay?" my eyes widened and Mallory stalked towards me, shoving a finger in my chest while hissing in my face, "I heard what you and Grin were talking about. I'm disgusted at this. We've got a gay team captain along with his good for nothing 'BROTHER', that giant of a duck in there that none of us understands anyway, and a gay thief! I don't know what this is, but it ISN'T a TEAM!"

That hurt more then I could describe. And I knew I was about to cry, I could feel my eyes filling up with tears and my vision was becoming blurry. I had to get out of here before I cried in front of Mallory. She'd really be pleased about that.

Tanya grabbed Mallory's arm and pulled her out of my face. They both looked pissed, although, Tanya seemed to be aiming her anger at Mallory.

"Leave him alone, Mallory," she growled between clenched teeth.

Mallory shoved her away, "You taking up for these gay freaks, Tanya?"

"I'm not taking up for any 'freaks', Mallory, I'm taking up for 'friends'," I've never seen Tanya so angry before. Not in the time I've known her, I haven't. She looked over at me, "Dive, get out of here."

"I don't think so. I'm not done with you, Nosedive. You stay right there!"

Deciding I rather obey Tanya then Mallory, I turned and ran out the door. Behind me, I was able it hear the shouting start. By the time I reached the room Wing and I shared, I was crying so bad I almost couldn't see where I was going. I collapsed on Wildwing's bed, burying my face in his pillow. Soon afterwards, I heard the door open and footsteps coming towards me.

'Oh, great. She's came for another round at me...' but the bed dipped heavily, showing this wasn't Mallory. I lifted my head to see my lover. He started to rub my back soothingly.

"It will be ok, Nosedive," Grin answered my unasked question of 'What are we going to do?'," It will be ok..."

I felt myself start to be taken to a troubled slumber as Grin continued to rub my back...

**(Wildwing's P.O.V.)**

I sighed happily as Duke and I made our way through the park. We stopped at the lake and I sat on the ground, watching the slight waves in the water, which made the moon's reflection move. Duke sat next to me, causing me to look over at him. I loved his outfit: a pair of snug, black jeans that fit nicely with his ass, a dark burgundy tee-shirt that showed off every curve of his upper body (and I mean EVERY curve), and a pair of black, high-top boots. He caught my gaze and grinned, wrapping an arm around my waist. My heart thumped harshly in my chest as our bodies were pulled closer together. Duke leaned into me and placed a few kisses along my collarbone. When he paused, I could fell his grin against my skin.

"Nervous?" he asked. I swallowed hard and nodded, making him chuckle and move until he was almost in my lap, "Don't be.."

Easy for him to say. He wasn't the one with the damn sexy body practically in his lap. Then he looked at me with those eyes. Stars... those eyes. I reached up to run my fingers along the strap of his eyepatch.

"Let me take it off.." I whispered.

I had to see his eyes, both of them. So, yeah I've seen them before, and they had took my breath away then. But, now was different.. somehow..

Duke hesitated before nodding. Slipping my fingers under the strap, I carefully pulled the patch off. It was set down next to us while I ran my fingers through the hair and feathers the material had flattened before turning my gaze back to his eyes. I gasped softly, taking in the deep amber of them both. His right eye wasn't a bright as his good eye, having a slightly glazed, foggy look to it. A small scar was visible below the feathers at the top of his eye to below it. The eyepatch somehow restored his eyesight in that eye so he could see even better than before. I wasn't sure what had happened to his eye, yet, at that moment, I really didn't care. Asking could really kill the moment. Besides, why spoil it when his eyes had literally taken my breath away?

"I love you're eyes..." I managed to get out softly.

A slight blush graced his cheeks at the complaint. It surprised me. I'd NEVER seen Duke blush before. He looked away from me, looking a little... regretful, perhaps?

"They're not so great..."

WHAT! I wasn't believing THIS! I pulled his face back towards mine, pulling him down to kiss him deeply. I could feel his heart flutter, his mouth opening in a gasp. I didn't let that open mouth of his go to waste and slipped my tongue in to intertwine with his. Oh... he tasted SO good... My lungs soon began to ache for air, but, I didn't WANT to let up just yet. I wanted this to last forever. But, Duke pulled away. My tongue swept put from my mouth to my lick lips before I could finally speak.

"I don't care what you think they are. What matters is what I think," I grinned suddenly, "And you know what?"

He shook his head, "No, what?"

"I think they're beautiful..."

At that he grinned again, moving his head down towards mine to capture me in another kiss. His hands untucked my shirt and slid across my skin, his fingers slowly weaving through my pale feathers. I couldn't help but moan in response...

**Later**

"This has been one interesting night, wouldn't you say, love?" Duke steered the Duckcycle back into the Pond's garage.

I nodded into his back, "Umm hmm... And I loved it, Duke..."

My fingers ran along his shirt collar then up his neck along his spine. I could feel his body shiver as he cut the bike's engine, balancing it on one foot. He sighed softly and leaned back into me as I continued my caresses along his back. A moment passed before he tensed slightly, looking around suspiciously.

"Wing, hold up a sec, sweetheart..."

Confused as to why, I did as he asked and watched him climb off of the bike. I was left to balance the two-wheeled vehicle and was also left wondering what I'd done wrong.

"What'd I do? What's the matter?" I questioned.

"What?" he looked back at me, "No, Wing. No, you didn't do anything. Something just doesn't..."

He didn't get to finish what he was saying before I felt a sudden sickening feeling settle in the pit of my stomach, threatening to make me run to the nearest toilet. Something was wrong. VERY wrong. And the only time... NOSEDIVE! Something was wrong with my little brother!

I dashed out of the garage and into the halls, quite literally almost running into walls going around the corners. Duke was trailing after me and we both could hear shouting that got louder the closer we came to the Rec. room. I caught the scene of Mal yelling at Tanya, who was shouting right back and looking ready to kill, Phil right in the background of the two females of our team. I frowned to myself and kept in mind to come back later as I continued past. What I didn't catch was the death glare that burned at my back from Mallory.

I continued to the room that Dive and myself shared to find Grin sitting on my bed beside Nosedive, rubbing the crying teen's back. This caused me to stop short and Duke almost ran into me, stopping just in time and peering over my shoulder.

"What happened here?" my question made Grin look up at me and Duke.

He looked a bit upset as he answered, "Mallory..."

"W-Wildwing...?" Dive sniffed, looking up with tired, wet, red eyes.

"Dive..." I hurried over to him and sat, scooping my little bro' into my arms like he was a baby.

Nosedive buried his face into my chest, sobbing, as he wrapped his arms around my neck. I soothingly ran my fingers through his hair while I rocked him. All the while, my mind was whirling. What on earth had Mallory done to get him so upset...?

I tried to ease his sobbing by murmuring to him, "Calm down, Dive... shh... Just calm down..."

Sometime later, a knock came at the door and Tanya stepped in, still seeming royally pissed, and gazed at Nosedive with a soft sigh.

"I-I'm sorry, Dive...," she stated softly while coming to sit on the bed and rested a hand on his knee.

Dive pulled away a little to look at her with an intent gaze, sniffing, "H-How did she find out...?"

Tanya looked away from his tearful expression, her own expression saddening further, "I don't... I don't know, Nosedive... She must have patched into your or Grin's comm links, but I can't be sure..."

She sighed again, resting her forehead in her hands, her elbows on her knees, "... stupid military bitch..."

Confusion was expressed quite clearly on my face as I looked between the two. What had gone ON since Duke and I left...!

Duke finally spoke up from his perch on the loveseat, "What is going on, Tauny?"

Dive sniffed again, pulling away to lean back against my chest, and wiped his face with the inside of his shirt. With a little smile, I pulled his shirt down and handed him a kleenex from the bedside table.

"Alright... What happened?" I questioned as I stroked my fingers through Dive's hair.

Tanya heaved a sigh, seeming to find her hands more interesting. Moments passed before she finally spoke up, "Mallory... somehow or another... found out that you guys are... are... umm.."

"That we're gay..." Dive finished for her quietly.

Naturally, Duke had to make a small point, "Actually, I'm bi, myself."

Tanya shrugged, "It makes no difference to Mallory... But anyway, she informed Phil and myself, we were both in the Rec. room at the time. I was trying to explain why his new publicity stunt was a bad idea. Well, as I was saying, She informed us. I was about to tell her off when Dive happened in at the wrong time..." her eyes lowered to the floor, "Mallory literally exploded at him..."

Tanya's eyes narrowed, her hands clenching tight into fists, "Good for nothing bitch... that's all she is... Well, I managed to get Dive out and, between me and her, we went at it. I'm not sure where she stormed off to, though..."

A long pause followed her story until she looked up at the clock that said it was getting close to midnight. She tried to hide the yawn that escaped her and didn't succeed.

"Tanya, go on to bed," I stated softly, "You've done enough for us for one night."

Our team tech nodded in agreement. Dive murmured his thanks, at which she smiled and gave him a slightly awkward hug, as he was still in my lap.

"Make sure you don't cross Mallory's path for a while, ok, Nosedive?" With that she said her goodnights and stepped out the door.

As soon as she was gone, I grinned widely at my younger brother, "So, Dive... You and Grin ARE more then just friends..."

A deep crimson graced his cheeks under peach feathers as he shared a glance with Grin then finally nodded, "Lovers, actually..."

"And you didn't tell me because...?" Dive looked away.

"I... I thought you'd hate me, Wing..."

"Dive, Dive, Dive..." I scolded lightly, pulling him into me tightly, "I could never hate you. You're my little bro'. I might get aggravated, yeah, but that doesn't mean I hate you."

The teen cuddled up to me with a smile on his face. He was tired, for once in his life, and I could feel his body relaxing as he began to slip off into sleep. I returned my attention to Grin and Duke.

"You two wanna stay here for the night? There's no telling where Mallory is."

Agreement passed between them and the giant of a duck that was also my brother's lover took Dive from my arms. He easily cradled the much smaller duck into his own arms as he climbed up into Dive's top bunk. Duke crawled in next to me once I got settled in my bed and pulled me into his body. I sighed as I basked in his warmth. I'd have to take care of Mallory later. If she wanted to deal with someone, it was going to be me, not Dive. I didn't get a damn what she said about me, but my brother was something different. No one dissed my little bro and got away with it...

**Chapter 5**

Ahh... well, um... here's chapter five. I hope you guys enjoyed it. grins sheepishly I'll get to work on that next chap, ne...? a mob comes after her Epps and runs for her life, leaving Michelangelo, Duke, and Static and Gear behind to hold the mob off

Sailor Vegeta


	6. untitled chapter 6

AN: Hello guys. I'm around, yes. I'm dearly sorry that I have not posted anything in several years... I can't believe it's been almost 8 years since I've touched this story... I am so sorry to all my followers. I've had problems the last few years. I've lost my muse to draw and write. But this new chapter has me excited and I'm happy that I was able to continue this. I'll be working on the next chapter and several of my other stories. It will take some time, I must say. But bare with me. I need lots of encouragement. lol I am actually working on my Ducks and Turtle's: Unite! fanfic also. As for my art, I have lots of Bleach as a muse. It is an awesome anime. Such beautiful characters. :)

Anyway, here we go guys. I also apologize that this chapter is a little short. I hate this years long writers block... :((

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Love of A Leader

Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own anything mentioned in this story besides the plot and storyline itself. Thank you.

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"Well, well, well… What do we have here?" Mallory sneered from her spot at the kitchen table as I walked in the next morning. "Why, it's our little gay team _captain. _How did you and that gay thief enjoy your night?"

I glowered at her, choosing not to answer. Instead I started on figuring out what I wanted to eat for breakfast.

"What? Aren't you gonna talk?"

I could feel her glare on my shoulders as I grit my teeth to keep myself in check. I heard her huff at my silence while I fixed myself some toast with butter and honey and a small cup of juice to wash it down. I stood at the counter with the paper as I ate my small breakfast, glancing through to see if anything besides the daily weather caught my eye. Earth's weather was so strange compared to Puckworld's… And the constant sunshine in Anaheim (1) made me miss the snow more and more. I brought my attention back as I could practically _feel_ Mallory's temper rising as I continued to ignore her snide remarks from earlier.

"Gonna ignore me, huh? Can't even talk to me, now that you're…"

"You want to talk so badly?" I finally spat angrily as I slapped the paper down on the counter and spun to pin her with my gaze. "Then talk, damnit! Go ahead. Yell at me, scream in my face. Take your hatred out on ME and bitch for all you're worth. Spit in my face, I don't give a flying shit at this point! I don't care! I am not stopping you, McMallard! But, no one treats my brother that way. No one! Not even you. Especially not you!"

Mallory sat back in her seat and coolly stated, "Heh… I don't see why not. Where's my reason not to? He's a freak, just like you. He should get the same treatment. It figures as much that you would stoop so low as to protect him from reality, itself. You're both faggots, Wildwing."

I bit the inside of my bill to keep from spitting back in fury. Trying to keep a cool head, I breathed, eyes studying her before narrowly asking, "What… do you have against us…?"

Her face paled beneath her feathers, and for an instant, seemed as if she were having an inner battle with herself as a series of unreadable emotions crossed her face. That instant quickly passed as I watched her harden her resolve once again and her eyes flashed venom in my direction.

"You're disgusting. Pathetic, weak. Worthless. A faggot? Really, Wildwing…? It's outrageous, going with one of your own gender. This is unbecoming of a good captain. I just… I can't believe you would lower yourself to such standards. Why Canard made you captain, I'll never know nor understand."

The words thrashing my team title stung but I ignored them as I spat back, the overflowing anger beginning to lace my voice, "It's called 'Love,' Mallory. Have you ever heard of it? Felt it? With that cold, cruel heart, Mallory, I would assume that you've never known what true love really is. It's not on the outside or the gender that matters when two beings love one another. It's the heart, mind, and soul. And yours seems to be frozen over."

The redhead under my gaze studied the tabletop while absently stirring her coffee. She seemed… off… somehow. Problems or complications within the team normally didn't cause this much drama, and especially not like it has with this situation and Mallory's temper. And… wait… was that a tear…? If it was, it was blinked away too quickly to tell for certain. She suddenly stood, seeming too calm as she deposited of her coffee cup in the sink and strode out the door. I didn't look after her, unsure and uncertain over absent tears. Head going to my hands, I slumped into the seat across from the chair Mallory had occupied, my mind echoing the berating she had given me.

"_You're disgusting…"_

"_Worthless…"_

"_Pathetic… weak… "_

"_Unbecoming of a good captain… "_

"_Why Canard made you captain I don't know nor understand… "_

"…_Disgusting…"_

A pale, slender hand rested on my arm, breaking me from my thoughts. Nosedive… The sound of chair legs grating against the linoleum floor greeted my ears as he sat down next to me. I could tell he didn't know what to say as silence engulfed us for several moments, making me wonder if he'd heard any of what was said.

"…Wing…"

Unmoving, I shifted my eyes to look at him for a second before looking away, "Hmm…?"

"You… you alright, big bro…?"

".. 'm fine, Dive…" I mutter, mostly to myself. Was it I was trying to reassure myself of that as well…?

"You sure…? She still seems… a bit hot under the collar.."

From the way he made it sound, maybe he'd caught part of our argument earlier… I closed my eyes with a sigh, mentally gathering myself, and stood from my seat to make myself some coffee. "I'm sure, little bro. Don't worry about it. We were… just chatting.."

I could feel his withering look on my back that I knew also read "Yeah… right…" before I heard him get up and pull out a bowl and the milk then search through the cabinets to find which choice cereal he had. Tanya and Grin came in soon after for their own breakfast and I left in search of Mallory with coffee in hand. Perhaps I could try this again…? I found her on the ice, circling the rink with a blank look on her face and headphones on her head. Leaning against the rink's railing, I silently watched her effortless movements flow as she seemed to dance in a world of her own. Her mind seemed preoccupied, green eyes unfocused and gazing into space.

"Mind tell me what's own your mind?" I called to her after a few moments when she got close enough to hear me over the music. I only knew she heard me by her reaction of her eyes darkening and her turning away. When she didn't answer, I continued, "You know, you can still talk to me about what's troubling you. I'm still the same drake I was before, Mal…"

She skid to a stop in front of me, and I wondered for a second if I'd gotten to her as ice showered over me, making me cover my coffee mug with my hand. I studied her narrowed eyes as she stared at the ice, the seconds seeming to stretch into hours as neither of us spoke. Finally, her head snapped up, eyes briefly meeting mine as she pulled down her headphones. Her eyes were red-rimmed and seemed to be slightly watery, filled with pain-laced raging fire. Pain…?

"That's not what my father drilled into my head…" ice and venom seemed to drip from her words as she stepped off the ice and turned away.

"Mallory..?"

She kept walking as I called after her. Confused, I pondered to myself. What did her father have to do with anything? And what did he drill into her head…? I knew he was a general in the military on our home world and as this, I knew they had many standards.. But… the bottom line was, our military on Puckworld didn't have anything against homosexuals… So what was the deal…

Puzzled and confused, I shook my head with a heavy sigh and sipped my coffee. Feeling a headache lingering, I mused to myself about what the team would say if I dumped a few shots of Irish Crème in my joe. The thought of Irish Crème made me drool slightly as I left the arena. It was too early for liquor… but who cared? And I was sure Mallory would eventually come to me later.

Setting off to find my Irish Crème, I reminded myself to find Phil later. We had a scheduling in a few weeks with the WWE. Nosedive didn't know yet, but Eric Bishof (2) had called to rent the Pond for the show. I was trying to save it as a surprise for my little bro, sort of at least. Unless he gets their show schedule, of course. It's so difficult to keep a secret around here… Chuckling at my thoughts and also my delight as I found my Irish Crème, I added my desired amount and put the whole mug into the microwave. Sometimes, I amaze myself. How I've managed to keep my stash of alcohol hidden in this place is beyond me, but I wasn't complaining. If that's the one secret I do keep here, then so be it.

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I was still in the kitchen when Duke found me. It was almost noon now. Maybe a bit after… I've lost track of time.. I had spoken to Phil and finished off the last pot of coffee (along with about a quarter of my Irish Crème, I might add) and I had another pot brewing while I munched on a grilled tuna and egg sandwich and read over the files scattered on the table. His hot breath against my feathers caused me to shiver as I could feel him peering over me, strong, sturdy hands rested on my upper arms,

"Whatcha doin', Wil'wing?" His accented voice caused more shivers through my body as it brush past my ear.

If a duck could purr, I'm definitely sure I would have been purring then. I glanced back at him with a smile. "Nothing of particular interest, really. It's just some of our old battle reports."

With a chuckle that vibrated against my back, he leaned into me. "Sounds like a page turner… Sure ya' can read Tawny's handwriting?"

"If I can read Dive's scribbling, I'm sure I can manage with Tanya's," I answered with an arched brow. "But, believe it or not, she mostly types her reports."

Nodding, Duke settled into a chair, pausing to turn it around backwards. An amused look graced his face. "Dive scribbles, huh? I would've thought da' kid would've had girly writing."

"Are you kidding? Have you seem my brother's handwriting?" My favorite ex-thief shook his head, at which I flipped though the reports to find the one on Dive's and Buzz's kidnapping. I dropped it in his hands. "I could only read half of this report. See if you can."

His amber eye scanned over the paper, a frown crossing his face. He turned it over, eyes narrowing and the frown deepening throughout parts of the report. He glanced up at me before turning back to the file.

"And you said you couldn't read this? I admit though, his writing is pretty bad.."

With an odd glance at him as I continued to read my own report, I answered. "No, his writing got worse halfway through the report… Why? Can you?"

"Yes, actually.. Did you know that Dragonus tied them both up to the ejection pods and were going to send them into space? If Mal had been ten seconds later… They wouldn't be here…"

Silence crossed us and echoed through the kitchen. That though kept repeating itself over in my head… If it wasn't for Mallory.. Dive would be dead…..

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1) It's so sad to realize I couldn't remember how to spell Anaheim… :(

2) Ok, so this is how long it's been since I left off on this story… Eric Bishof was in the original copy, so I left it at that since I'm even less fond of some of the managers they have now. lol

AN: I'm just thankful that I kinda remember what I'm doing with Mal-mal. lol Anyway, I hope ya'll enjoyed. I'll be working on other stuff and hopefully it won't be another year before I finish anything... :(( Love you guys!

~~RaneyLee~~


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